We’ve all been there. You’ve poured your heart and soul into your blog. You’ve spent countless hours crafting beautiful content, building an audience, and creating new connections. But every so often, every blogger hits a wall. Maybe it’s a frustrating dip in traffic, a creative block, or just plain burnout.
Whatever the reason, it can be tough to stay motivated when you’re feeling stuck in a blogging rut. This post looks at ways to fix that.
Currently reading: How To Refind Your Blogging Mojo Share on X
Side note: This blog post is all about your feelings, approach and broader strategy. If you’re looking for quickfire practical tips and tricks, this one may suit you better: 7 Ways To Fall Back In Love With Your Blog.
Everyone experiences ups and downs in their blogging journey. Even the most successful bloggers face challenges. As high achievers, it’s frustrating not to see an continuously upward trending curve of success because you’re used to winning. But at the same time, no one wins forever. Even the most successful athletes in the world have lost more times than they’ve won. Their determination is what brings them back time and again.
One of the things we like to compare it to is the sea. Ups and downs are normal. With all the best will and determination and boat-building in the world, sometimes the tides and currents are in your favor, and sometimes they aren’t. But, when they aren’t, they’ll come back round to you again if you wait it out long enough.
Taking a break to recharge, taking things in a different direction, sitting with your frustrations and exploring them further to find a solution, or heading down a path to help you rediscover your passion are all valid options. There are no rights or wrongs – follow your instinct and see where it takes you.
Blogging is so dynamic that what worked well for you in the past may not be what levels you up today. It’s an opportunity to explore and to see it as raising the ceiling even higher, because there are more people online today than there ever have been, which make the opportunities out there greater than they ever have been.
It may help you to think of it as leveling up in a game; you’ve gained experience and wisdom, and now it’s time to apply them to a new chapter. Your audience has grown and evolved too, and maybe it’s time to look at how you can reach new people while making sure your current readership has something they’re interested in. Perhaps it’s time to delve deeper into a specific niche, experiment with long-form content, take your keyword research into other areas, or try something new like taking part in a summit or blogging bundle. Your experience is a valuable asset and you have the skills to build up and out on what you already know. Your blog is a reflection of your growth. Use it to your advantage and create something truly exceptional. Remember, your journey is unique, and your ability to adapt and evolve is what sets you apart.
With experience comes wisdom. Your blog is more than your own space; it’s a community. Nurture these relationships by offering genuine value, engaging in meaningful conversations, and supporting other bloggers. Take advantage of your platform to help, inspire, and uplift others. Share your knowledge, experiences and advice – you never know who may need to hear it.
Take a step back to review
Before diving into solutions, it’s essential to understand why you might be feeling down. Sometimes, simply acknowledging your feelings can be a huge relief. Is it a specific event, like a Google algorithm update, or is it a more general feeling of burnout? Once you identify the root cause, you can start to address it more effectively.
For example, the best solution for burnout is to take a proper break, even if it feels like you can’t. It could look like putting things on hold for a while, or even just taking a walk in nature or reading a book in a bubble bath.
It’s also crucial to take a break from blogging and social media comparisons, especially when everyone else’s highlight reels look so perfect (the reality is always very different!). Take some time to go through your various social media accounts and RSS feeds and unfollow or mute anyone who doesn’t make you feel happy or positively engaged in some way.
Go back to your why
When you’re feeling lost, it’s easy to forget why you started blogging in the first place. Take some time to reflect on your initial goals and passions. What inspired you to share your story with the world? Reconnecting with your original purpose can reignite your enthusiasm. Helping one person is more than worth it. Turn numbers back into human beings.
Set different measures for success
Instead of focusing on numbers or long term goals, make a list of other ways you can measure your success. It could be related to improving your writing skills, learning SEO, or learning to create a different type or style of content.
If you find you have a lot of heavy emotions tied to what you’re doing, turn your successes into things you have control over. For example, have “Publish a new blog post” on your to do list instead of “Get 10,000 visitors,” because the former you can action and check off your list. It will give you the natural boost you need as you’re marking your progress in terms of actions rather than results.
Shake things up
Sometimes, all it takes is a change of pace to break free from a creative rut. Experiment with different content formats, such as videos, podcasts, or even live streams. Try collaborating with other bloggers in your niche. Stepping outside of your comfort zone can lead to fresh ideas and new opportunities.
Try taking part in a new community or create a fresh challenge for yourself to spark something different in your soul. It could be a separate side project blog that you just do for fun or to improve your writing, something visual with photos or graphics, or something that you’ve always wanted to try but somehow never got round to.
Take the pressure off
If you’re the kind of person that likes to set yourself lots of regular tasks, review them. How many are actually important? How many will move the needle? Emptying your comment spam daily may make you feel better, but it’s not going to help you progress.
Make sure there are an achievable number and type of tasks on your list. We’d all love to write three blog posts a day, but in reality that’s not going to happen and you’ll get disheartened when you don’t achieve it.
It’s okay to give yourself permission to slow blog. We typically blog once a month here on the Lyrical Host blog, and we’re fine with that. No one has complained, and it means we can put more energy into one good piece, than setting an arbitrary number of posts and trying to play catchup to keep on top of the targets we’ve set ourselves. You’re not a robot or a machine. You need to give yourself breaks and recovery time to get that creative spark back.
Enjoy the moment; make a promise to yourself to take a break from comparing; to others, to yourself, to past numbers, anything that doesn’t feel joyful.
Cut out things you don’t like
Or that feel too hard. Give yourself permission to have fun with what you’re doing. Nothing is essential. If you don’t like Pinterest, don’t pin. If you don’t like emails, don’t send them. It’s okay to do things your way. Take some time to create something for you – if other people see it and like it, great. For now, you need to explore where your passion and happiness is, and everything else can go on the back burner until you want to pick it up again.
Cut out thinking time by using prompts or done-for-you research or trends. Ask for ideas in Facebook groups. Think about questions you get asked all the time. These can all help get creative juices flowing without feeling like you’re tied to a million different research tasks before you can start creating.
Prioritize self-care
It might sound cliché, but taking care of yourself is essential for maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Make time for activities you enjoy, whether it’s reading, spending time in nature, or simply relaxing with a cup of tea. Ensure you’re getting enough sleep, eating nutritious food, and engaging in regular physical activity. A well-rested and nourished mind is better equipped to tackle challenges.
Reach out to people who understand
Blogging can be lonely when no one in your real life understands what you do. Surrounding yourself with like-minded people can make a world of difference. Join online forums or blogging groups where you can share your experiences and get support from others who understand what you’re going through.
Embrace imperfection
It’s okay to not be perfect. And it’s okay to be honest about not being perfect. Your audience will appreciate your authenticity and relatability. Don’t be afraid to share your vulnerabilities and struggles. It can help you connect with your readers on a deeper level. Every setback is an opportunity to learn and grow, or build resilience and fiery determination.
It doesn’t have to be perfect for you to hit publish.
Celebrate your successes and make a gratitude list
It’s easy to focus on what you haven’t achieved, but it’s more important to recognize your successes. Take some time to reflect on your accomplishments, no matter how small. Celebrate your milestones and figure out a way to reward yourself for your hard work – it doesn’t matter if it’s cheesy or childlike – whatever works for you!
What seems easy to you now was originally something you worked hard to understand, learn, and used to achieve. It’s natural for our achievements to feel more mundane after a while – no one celebrates you crawling across the floor as they did when you were a baby and it was a major achievement! – so writing a gratitude list can really help put your achievements into perspective.
Embrace change
This is one of the hardest things to do, because your brain hates change and sees the status quo as a safe place. But you’ve already come too far to let a setback stop you from reaching your long term goals. Nothing worth having is easy, and one of the biggest tests can be sticking at something long term.
There’s no easy way to accept change, especially if it feels like something negative such as a drop in traffic or income. But what you can do is use the tips above to help get you through the harder patches.
Blogging is a marathon, not a sprint, and there are plenty of hilly ups and downs! By taking care of yourself, setting realistic goals, and working out what you need most in this season of your journey, you can overcome any challenges and find your long-term blogging mojo again.
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